Ditching-machine



(No Model.)

J. LALONDE. DITGHING' MAGHIN'E.

Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

N, PErns, Pnmmwgqpw. wmingm un UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

JOSEPH LALONDE, OF ESSEXVILLE, MICHIGAN.

DlTCHlNG-NIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,859, dated April 2, 1889.

Application filed November 2, 1888. Serial No. 289,827. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH LALONDE, a ci-tizen of the United States, residing at Essexville, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ditching-machines and the invention consists In devices for loosening the dirt and for elevating and depositing` the same upon the- 'a ditchingmachine of simple and easy construction, whereby a ditch of uniform size may be easily and neatly constructed without the use of hand labor, and to provide a means of manipulating the several portions of the machine, whereby the operation thereof is rendered more simple and effective. The devices I employ to attain these objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a side view, in elevation, of my improved ditching-machine. Fig. 2 is aplan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the shovel detached. Fig. 4 is a section of the saine taken at oc. Fig. 5 is a rear view of the machine. Fig. 6 is a view of the regulating-pieces detached, with transverse section of side pieces and side levers.

a represents driving-Wheels, of any suitable construction, and mounted upon the opposite ends of the axle a.

b b are side pieces, which are secured upon and supported by the axle a', near their middle, with their front ends secured to a shovelblade, b', which is provided with a forWaI dly-A projecting edge, c.

c are shearing-blades secured by one end to the oppositel end of the shovel-blade and extending obliquely forward of the blade, and are braced and supported in a suitable Inanner. These blades are provided with the horizontal cutting-edges d for shearing up the ground, and with the vertical rear sides for deflecting the loose earth toward the shovelblade b.

Between the side pieces, b, is placed an endless carrier or apron, e, beginning just in rear of the shovel-blade and extending to some distance in rear of the axle c', the front end of the apron being supported by a suitable roller, c', while the rear end is supported by a roller, f, and upon the outer end of the shaft which carries the roller f is mounted a sprocket-wheel, f. This apron e is formed of the sections e, secured to endless chains or other convenient flexible connecting devices, so that the sections will form a moving table or platform on their upper surfaces and pass easily over the rollers which support the end thereof.

Above the pieces b are placed the pieces g, and are pivotally secured thereto at their rear ends, preferably by a driving-shaft, g', which is provided on its end with a driving sprocket- Wheel, 7o', and is supported in suitable boxes secured to the side pieces, l), and between the pieces g upon the shaft is mounted the sprocket-Wheels h, which carry the endless chains h', the opposite ends of the chain being carried by the sprocket-wheels t', which are mounted on a shaft, t, supported by the forward end of the piece g at a point over the shovel-blade b.

Secured by each end to the chainsh at intervals are a series of Scrapers, j, arranged so that the outer edges of the Scrapers move upon the surface of the shovel-blade and upon the surface of the apron e.

j is a sprocket-wheel secured upon the axle or to one of the wheels a., and 7o is a chain belt passed over the sprocketwheelj and over the sprockets f', and also over the sprocket-wheel k. The chain k is designed to convey the rotary motion from the driving-wheels a to the shaft g and the roller f; but gear-wheels or any other suitable means may be used instead of the chain for imparting the motion, if desired.

Z is a seat for the driver, secured by braces above. and resting upon the forward end of IOO the side pieces g, so that the weight of the drivel.' will assist in keeping the shovel and side scrapers in position for cutting into the earth, and l are levers pivoted by their rear ends at l to the side pieces" l1, in rear of the seat, and to the forward end of these levers Z'is secured the cross-piece on, and a wheel, m', is arranged with a caster or crank-bearing, n, pivotally secured. to the cross-piece m to which also the team is hitched for propelling the machine.

n and 'a' are regulating-pieces secured to the lower side pieces, Z), and extended up wardly above the side levers, Z', and are provided with the movable gage-pieces o, secured to the portions above the side levers, l', so that as the shovel-blade, which is set at an incline forwardly, dips in to the earth the depth of its cut may be gaged by the pieces o, resting upon the upper sides of the pieces l', so that the depth of cnt maybe increased or diminished, as desired, by moving the gagepicces o in the proper direct-ion. The pieces o rest upon the upper side of the levers l', however, and do not prevent the shovel from risingl upwardly should any stone or small obstruction be met.

0 is an elbow-lever pivoted at its angle to one of the levers I', and has its short horizontal arm p pivotcd to one of the upright pieces n', while its longer arm, p', extends upward in a convenient position to be grasped by the driver from the seat, and which, on being borne forward by the operator, raises the shovel from its cut and allows the machine to proceed without engaging the shovel with the earth.

A side conveyer, B, is provided at the rear portion of the machine by securing at the rear ends of the side pieces ZJ t-he upright pieces q and g', and between these pieces are placed the inclined side pieces r, the lower ends of the pieces 'l' being pivotally secured to the supportingquieces q', while the middle portions of the side pieces rest upon movable supports o", which are secured to the pieces q, while upon the upper ends of the side pieces r, which extend considerably beyond and above the main portion of the machine, is mounted a shaft, s, carrying a pulley or sprocket wheel, s', and suitable sprockets, t, and the lower ends of the side pieces yr are also provided with a shaft, t', and sprocketwheels il., and upon the sprockets t and u is mounted a link or other suitable belt, carrying the sections fzt, which form an inclined apron or carrier; or, if preferred, a platform may be arranged between the side pieces r and Scrapers or flights used upon the chains instead of the apron.

Upon one end oi' the shaft g' is mounted a miter gear-wheehr, and a shaftyn, is mounted upon the supports q and provided with a miter gear-wheel, fw, intermeshing with the gear u and with a sprocket, w', over which and over the sprocket-wheel s' is placed a link-belt, faj.

The operation of the machine is that when the team is hitched to the cross-piece m and the machine moved forward the side-scrapers cut into and remove the earth in their path to the shovel-blade, which also cuts into, loosens, and lifts the earth in front, at the same time the drivewheels, revolving by the forward movement of the machine, actuate the link-belt 7L: and impart thereby a lrotary movement to the shaft g and the roller f, which propel the upper run of the apron c and the lower run of scrapers j toward the rear, and the series ot' Scrapers moving rearwardly over the. shovelblade carries the loosened earth from the shovel-blade to the apron c, which, moving together with the Scrapers, carries the earth over the rear end of the apron, from which it falls to the side conveyer, B, which, being actuated by the miter-gear fu and the belty, carries t-he earth over its upper end and deposits the same on the ground outside of the ditch. The shovel-blade and sidescrapers are arranged to cut to such a depth as will permit the teani to pull the machine, the depth of the eut being gaged by the pieces o, being adjusted upon the pieces n', and the machine is drawn over the route until the ditch has been exeavated to the required depth.

l't will be seen that the entire machine, except, ot' course, theupper end of the conveyer B,will pass between the opposite sides of the ditch, the side shearing-bladcs, c, removing the earth to a width beyond the d rivingwheels, so that the ditch may be formed deep desired by passing the machine re* peatedly over the ground, so that a ditch, especially on low and swampy land, may be easily and cheaply constructed, the scrapers j and the endless apron c being especially designed to remove wet earth, as the apron carries dry earth and mud with equal facility and without clogging.

IIa-ving described my invention, what I claim as new, and-desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, in a ditching-machine, of the side pieces, l), supported at an incline by the axle a and driving-wheels (l, and provided on their front ends with a shovel-blade, t', and the endless apron c, in rear of the shovel-blade, and devices, as described, :tor imparting a rearward movement tothe upper run of the apron, with the levers l', with their rear ends pivoted at Z to the side pieces, 7), and provided on their `front ends with a erosspiece, n?, the wheel m', having a caster-bean ing, n, secured to the said cross-piece, and the regulating-pieces a', with their lower ends secured to the side pieces, l), and provided with the gage-stops o above the levers Z', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony \\hereo'tI l aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH LAQLONDE.

W'itn esses:

Jas. E. THOMAS, G. P. THoMiAs.

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